In The Word
Read: Revelation 21:22-22:5
22 I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illuminated it, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. 25 In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed; 26 and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it; 27 and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
The River and the Tree of Life
22 And he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, 2 in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; 4 they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. 5 And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illuminate them; and they will reign forever and ever.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
John described the New Jerusalem for us. There will be no temple because Yeshua’s physical presence will eliminate the need for a building. There will be no sun or moon, or even night, because God’s glory will shine throughout the land all day long. The gates of the city will always be open to those named in the Book of Life. A clear river will flow from Yeshua’s throne into the city. On either side of the river will be the tree of life that produces fruit each month.
What will we do in the new city? We will praise the Lord and “His bond-servants will serve Him” (Revelation 22:3). We are not told exactly what our service there will be, but it should bring us joy that we will serve the King! How we serve the Lord on earth prepares us for our service in eternity. We should work with the same heart and faithfulness as Yeshua so we can also say, “I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do” (John 17:4).
No matter what challenges you face here on earth, in the New Jerusalem you will find joy, beauty, and glory forevermore! Let John’s description of our new home encourage you to press on in your current service to Yeshua by fighting against sin and doing good to others. “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary” (Galatians 6:9).